Battery-terminal clamp and method of making the same



June 10, 1930. J. A; SALL 1,762,529

BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 13 1926 win Z1 maneunmnmia Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. SALL, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SALL BROTHERS COMPANY, OF

ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS BATTEIRY-TEERIMINAJI.v CLAMP AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application filed May 13,

The invention relates to clamps of the type employed for connecting cable conductors to the terminal posts of a storage battery; and has special reference to an improved 5, method of manufacturing such clamps.

Clamps of the character referredvto com-7 prise as commonly constructed a split collar having in tangential relation thereto a socket member in which the end of the cable conductor 'is secured. The collar has adjacent the opening or split therein opposed apertured lugs to receive a clamping bolt. These clamps are commonly madejfrom brass with sufficient copper content to render them good conductors of electricity; and the common "method of manufacturing the clamps has been by casting. Because the axes of the collar and of the cable receiving socket are disposed in perpendicular relation, the practice has been to cast the clamp in a horizontal position in the mold, that is to saywith the axis of the collar vertical cable socket horizontal. necessary to use a core in Thus, it'has been forming the cable socket. The apertures in the clamping lugs have either been formed by the use of cores or by drilling, these apertures also extending in a horizontal direction. This use of cores, because ot the cost of the cores themselves and because of the time consumed in their use, has the effect of increasing the cost of manufacture. castings which may be produced in a single mold is relatively small because of the space which the clamp occupies when horizontally positioned in the mold.

Am important object of my invention is to reduce the cost of clamps of this character by eliminating the use of cores in the formation'of either the cable socket or the bolt holes or both. i

A further object is to provide a method of manufacture for battery terminal clamps and the like which renders it possible to produce in a single mold a greatly increased number of castings as compared with the,

methods now in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of clamp which is saving intermediate socket and the axis of the Also the number of 1926. Serial N o. 108,712.

in metal and is capable of being readily manufactured b the improved method.

Briefly state I attain these objects together with other and ancillary advantages by casting first a blank in the form of a relatively thin elongated body having an portion and apertured end lugs. The socket portion, in the completed form of the clamp, may extend either tangentially or in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the 'bolt holes in the normal relation of the clamping lugs,.but in either event. the construction is such as to permit the casting of the socket portion without the use of cores. To complete the clamp from the blank which is thus cast a suitable shaping operation is used, the blank being, for example, bent around a die post with the surface of the blank opposite the cable socket engaging the outer surface of the die post. i In the accompanying drawings,

igure 1 is a plan view of one form of clamp embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

ig. 3 is a side view of form in which it is cast.

Fig. 4 is a'plan view of the same.

ig. 5 isa vertical sectional view through the clamp illustrating the position in which it is cast in a mold.

Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the shaping operation in which the blank is formed about the die post to form a completed clamp. I

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but showing another embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the blank.

Referring first to the clamp of the type shown in Figs. 1 to 6, and more especially to the completed clamp illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, it comprises briefly a clamping collar 7 split or open at one side and having integral therewith opposed clamping lugs 8. These, lugs extend in a direction generally radially of the collar and are provided with registering apertures 01' holes 9 for receiving a clamping bolt 10 having a head 11 and a nut 12. Also formed integral with the the collar 7. One of the lugs has a rib 14 formed thereon to provide a shoulder against which the head 11 of the bolt may engage to hold the latter against turning; and the adjacent faces of the lugs preferably diverge outwardly to efiect a reduction in the amount of metal used.

Referring now to Figs. 3 we, the blank from which the clamp is to be formed com-' prises an elongated body including a relatively thin intermediate portion 7 of a width equal to the depth of the collar to be formed, said intermediate portion having at' opposite ends relatively heavy lug members 8'. Midway between the heads 8 is a cylindrical socket member 13 the side wall portions of which merge directly into the outer periphery of the clamping collar. This elongated body lends itself readily to economical casting for two reasons. The first is that the socket to receive the cable, as well as the holes to receive the clamping bolt, may be cast in the blank without the use of cores. The other reason is that a great many blanks may be cast side by side in a single mold, it having been found that approximately two and one-half .times. as many blanks may be cast in one mold than completed clamps made in accordance with the prior method of manufacture. As shown in Fig. 5 the 1 line of part between'the cope and drag sections of the mold conforms preferably to the upper surface of the blank so that the body of the blank is formed entirely in the drag section of the mold. A further advantage in this method of casting is that it is possible to produce a smoother surface for that portion of the blank which is to form the inner periphery of the collar than can be produced where the clamp is cast in a horizontal (positionand drawn vertically out of the san It is customary to make battery terminal.

clamps so that the clamping collar tapers downwardly and outwardly to a slight extent. The blank, therefore, .from which my clamp is formed has a slightly irregular shape as shown in Fig. 4 such that when the blank is completed in the final shaping operation the collar will have such a tapered inner periphery.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the final opera: tion in the manufacture of my clamp consists simply in bending the intermediate portion'7 about the suitable die; and I have shown the blank positioned against a die post 15 around which such intermediate portion 7 may be bent into the completed form shown in broken lines. Obviously any preferred means may be employed for accom cast without the .use of a core.

plishing this final bending or shaping operation.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the clamp in this instance is rovided with a cable receiving and clamping socket, which in the completed form of the clamp extends in a direction generally tangential to the clamped collar but which at the same time may be For this purpose I provide on the intermediate portion 7 of the blank a pair of laterally spaced side portions or lugs 16 (Fig. 9-) which merge throu hout their widths directly with the perip eral wall of the clamping collar. These lugs together form a U- shaped part which is adapted to be -com-" pleted also by a shaping operation in which the free ends ofthe lugs are bent toward each other as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, leaving an opening 17 on" the side farthest remote from the collar. Preferably the end of the cable designated by the numeral 18 is placed in the U-shapedpart during this shaping operation, so as to be firmly clamped therein. If desired, however, the

forming the cable socket is advantageous in that it provides a clamp for the end of the cable which renders it unnecessary to fasten the cable in the socketby means of solder as is necessary where the socket is cast in its final form as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 6 and as in prior constructions.

It will be seen that my improved method of manufacture is made possible in each instance by providing a socket member which is open at the side farthest-remote from the clamping collar. When the clamp is ma-' chined as in prior constructions, it is difiicult to remove same from the battery post with-' out hammering. An important advantage of bending the-clamp about the battery post or a forming post is that a certain amount of spring tension is created which loosens the lugs from thebattery post when the bolts are loosened, thereby obviating the necessity of hammering to remove the clamp.

I claim as "my invention: 1. A' blank for terminal clamps of the character described, comprising anelongat ed body including an intermediate portion adapted to be bent to form a split clamping collar, the opposite ends of said intermediate portion having lugs with apertures therein adapted to register with each other integral with the intermediate portion and 'intermediate portion of having side tion parallel the lugs.

2. A blank for terminal clamps of the character described comprising an elongated body including an intermediate portion adapted to be bent to form a split clamping collar, the opposite ends of said intermediate tothe axes of the apertures in portion having lugs adapted to occupy an" opposed relation when the intermediate portion is bent into collar form, and a socket member integral with the intermediate portion arranged to project in a direction substantially perpendicular to said body.

3. The method of making battery terminal clamps and the like which consists in initially casting a blank having an intermediate portion, with end members and a socket member all formed integral with the intermediate portion, said end members havin apertures with axes substantially parallel to the socket member; and then bending the the blank into circular form with the end members in opposed relation and spaced a short distance apart.

4. The method of making terminal clamps of the character described, which" consists in initially casting a blank having an elongated body portion with a socket portion having a pair of spaced members, then shaping the elongated portion to form a split clamping collar, and bending said members to form a split cable socket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

- JOHN A. SALL portions extending in a direc- 

